MONOLIDS

by - December 01, 2012

Hi ya there! Sorry for the lack of updates for these couple months, and really thanks to you who still visit this blog. Today I want to share some informations about monolid eyes. Many people think there are only two types of lids: monolid and double lids. But actually, even monolid has many forms!

But before we head into it, here’s a little bit of history on the monolid:

In Asian ethnicities, the presence of an epicanthal fold is associated with the lack of an upper eyelid crease, commonly termed "single eyelids" as opposed to "double eyelids". The two features are distinct; a person may have both epicanthal fold and upper eyelid crease, one and not the other, or neither.

An epicanthal fold, epicanthic fold, or epicanthus is a skin fold of the upper eyelid (from the nose to the inner side of the eyebrow) covering the inner corner (medial canthus) of the human eye.  The term "epicanthal fold" refers to a visually categorized feature; however the underlying physiological reason and purpose for its presence in any given individual may be entirely different.

The maintenance of the epicanthic fold into adulthood in many populations is believed to have evolved as a defense against both the extreme cold as well as the extreme light that occurs in the Eurasian arctic and north. It has also been suggested that the fold provides some protection against dust in areas of desert such as that found in the deserts of northern China and Mongolia as well as parts of Africa.

There is a wide distribution of the epicanthic fold across the world. It is found in significant numbers amongst Native Americans, the Khoisan of Southern Africa, many Central Asians and some people of Sami origin, though great majority of Samis does not have it. The presence of epicanthal folds is common in people of many, though not all, groups of East Asian and Southeast Asian descent. It also occurs sometimes on people of South Asian descent, especially Bengalis.

First up, the Sunken Monolid.  An eyelid that has absolutely no crease at all.  There isn't that much fat in the lid as well, thus showing the shape of the eyeball rather clearly. People with this type of monolid do not always have small, squinty eyes. Some may have big eyes, but just missing that ubiquitous crease.
Sunken Monolid example: model Ming Xi. Note how her eyes are still pretty big despite the absence of upper lid creases.

(sunken monolid)

Next is the Puffy Monolid. There is a substantial amount of fat on the eyelid, which leads to a certain 'puffy' look and also makes the eyes look like they are half-closed or squinty.  It is harder to position the shading of the crease with makeup because the eyes are not that deep set. However, with the right application technique, these type of lids can pull off mysterious and sexy looks.
Puffy Monolid examples: South Korean model Hyoni Kang, actresses Sandra Oh and Jenna Ushkowitz as well as Hong Kong pop singer Sandy Lam.

(puffy monolid)

Another variation is the lovely Partial Monolid.  This type of lid has partially formed creases but lack the muscles to pull them in to create a full double lid.  This type of monolid is beguilingly beautiful and offer great creativity to the makeup artist. Some may choose to classify this as a non-monolid, but once again, we're putting this here based on observations.
Partial Monolid examples: Model Tao Okamoto, Devon Aoki and South Korean figure skater Kim Yu Na.

(partial monolid)

And last but not least, there’s the Hooded Monolid.  This type of lid has a hidden crease in varying degrees of thickness but when viewed straight on, it usually can’t be seen.  In terms of makeup, you’d still have to apply it from a monolid's point of view.
Hooded Monolid example: Model Shu Pei (included a pic where her fold is somewhat visible, and another one where the crease disappears as she looks straight ahead to illustrate our point).


(hooded monolid)

So there you have it, the 4 different types of monolids! Which monolid are you?

XOXO

Share
Tweet
Pin
Share
Tags :

You May Also Like

6 comments

  1. UnknownDecember 1, 2012 at 9:48 AM

    thank you for the information.. i think mine is sunken monolid ^^

    ReplyDelete
  2. AlexandraDecember 1, 2012 at 11:28 PM

    mine is the puffy monolid. it's hard to apply makeup, i apply liquid liner to my whole eyelid, and only a bit of line appears when I open my eyes :p

    http://alexandrawangsblog.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. SarahDecember 2, 2012 at 3:28 AM

    lol interesting. ive actually never seen a post on monolids before. i think i have double eyelids though. but i did have hooded monolids before when i was a kid!! or at least on just one eye. hahaha~

    anyways, thanks for the info! great post!

    - sarah -
    www.xliciousgirl.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Belliani BebeDecember 4, 2012 at 1:34 AM

    Puffy monolid ^^

    ReplyDelete
  5. DeniseDecember 7, 2012 at 12:35 PM

    Hi hun! New follower here, love your blog :) Please check mine out when you can!
    xo

    http://letskisstomakeup.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousMarch 22, 2013 at 5:49 AM

    is the epicanthal fold the same as a monolid?can you have a monolid without a epicanthal fold?

    Is it true most Japanese don't have epicanthal fold but still a monolid?

    Japanese eyes don't look squinty.Neither do Hakka peoples or viets etc

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your time to come by and leave comment!

XOXO